Unveiling Wembanyama's Development Plan: Steadily Increasing Muscle Mass and Modeling a Long-lasting Career After Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

On September 3rd Beijing time, the Spurs' promising rookie Wembanyama clearly captured the spotlight this summer, and his time spent in quiet training at the Shaolin Temple became a hot topic. Spurs reporter Dusty Garza revealed Wembanyama’s development strategy today—

Before the new Spurs arena was approved, the team's most carefully managed "development project" was Wembanyama himself — gradually building up his muscle mass and weight through steady training. The team’s stance is clear: the current focus is on enhancing strength, balance, and career longevity rather than rapid weight gain.

Both Wembanyama and the Spurs emphasize a slow and cautious growth approach. Even with new evidence suggesting Wembanyama is still growing taller, the core philosophy remains consistent: prioritizing gradual muscle growth, functional strength, and long-term durability over simply adding bulk.

To support Wembanyama’s long-term plan, the Spurs brought in his trusted French strength coach, Alquier, integrating him directly into the coaching staff. The team is not pushing for quick weight gain but instead combining his familiar training methods with the club’s sports science resources to create a program better suited to his needs.

Wembanyama’s agent, Ndiaye, has repeatedly stated they firmly oppose "gaining weight just for the sake of it," instead focusing on strengthening his core and lower body — a move designed to protect his joints and feet, taking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as a role model to build a lasting career. Abdul-Jabbar played 20 seasons in the NBA, recognized as one of the longest-lasting centers in professional basketball.

Before being sidelined last season due to deep vein thrombosis, Wembanyama played 46 regular-season games for the Spurs, averaging 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals, and 3.8 blocks, leading the league in blocks. Renowned stats site Basketball Reference projects that next season he will average 26.2 points, 12.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.4 steals, and 4.1 blocks. Will Wembanyama reach these numbers? Time will tell.